Theresa had become a complete Demon King, and Xing Chen could finally reveal his strategic arrangements to the All Royal Courts.
He couldn't just say, “I only want results.”
Everyone present knew that for the Sarkaz to survive, that was their sole purpose for being there.
But if they truly followed what they imagined, would things really unfold that way?
He had to be as detailed as possible, letting the Sarkaz know what to do and why.
“First, you must understand one thing: no matter how fiercely we fight at this stage, after the Victoria War, the Sarkaz must learn to coexist peacefully with other races.”
Theresa wanted peace, and Theresis wanted war. Strictly speaking, both twins were only half-right.
Without war, the nations would not seek peace with Kazdel. But if the fighting continued indefinitely, the Sarkaz, with their inherently weak overall power, simply couldn't bear the cost.
If all the nations were shattered, they wouldn't have enough strength to resist a true disaster.
Given this, why not “use war to promote peace,” and fight for several generations of peace with just one generation?
Theresa's faction all expressed support, and Nieci Lei also nodded. The Shapeshifter Cluster and the Sin Eater offered no opinion.
As an extreme war hawk, Dukare frowned but remained silent for now.
“Let's talk about the war part first; this part is relatively small,” Xing Chen turned to Nieci Lei, and the tall elder also looked at him, “King of the Rot Eaters, how are your legions prepared?”
“The conscription and training of the main forces have begun. If needed, an elite unit can depart immediately.”
“Are all members of this unit fanatical war hawks?”
The King of the Rot Eaters nodded.
“Good, then bring them over. We need to expend all of them on the battlefield of Londinium.”
“What do you mean! Outsider! Are you trying to weaken our strength and push us into the abyss!” Dukare couldn't hold back upon hearing this, almost slamming the table and standing up.
“This is the Demon King's decree,” Xing Chen said, and the siblings stepped forward together to stand by him, “I know you all have questions, so I will explain clearly.”
Even though the collective souls had been cleared, the hatred between the Sarkaz and outsiders had long been forged, and it couldn't be undone by simply eliminating a person or thing.
Xing Chen respected their worldview of dedicating themselves to the survival of the Sarkaz, but the methodology of fighting outsiders to the death was clearly incorrect.
He himself had a bit of nationalism, but he couldn't bring himself to say things like, “If they are not of our race, no matter how far away, they must be eliminated.”
Development was more important than endless fighting. Militarism benefited no one.
“This is to prevent the next civil war; you cannot afford it.”
“What you're doing, how is it any different from those Grand Dukes?”
Xing Chen's recent explanation had some effect. The Blood Demon Grand Duke comparing him to the Grand Dukes who harmed their own people indicated that, to a certain extent, he considered Xing Chen part of the Sarkaz faction.
“The difference is that when future generations of Sarkaz ask about the fate of these people, you can proudly proclaim that they sacrificed themselves on the battlefield of Londinium, securing survival and dignity for their race, and are undeniable heroes of Kazdel.” Out of respect, Xing Chen said solemnly, “How do you think the Grand Dukes would record the demise of the Steam Knights? Plunging into the Sarkaz trap in the Royal Mausoleum? Or not even recording it at all?”
Dukare fell silent, and the others also remained quiet, while Theresa lowered her head.
Theresis looked at Xing Chen. In his original plan, he also intended to sacrifice the main combat faction to unburden Kazdel's future.
“I understand,” Nieci Lei slowly began, “What about the remaining legions?”
“Continue what they're doing, but they won't be deployed to Londinium. Instead, they will be stationed at the Kazdel-Victoria border.” As he spoke, Xing Chen took a map, “I think this valley area looks good; we can occupy it directly then.”
Terra people don't just live on mobile cities; they also have settlements in areas with rare Catastrophes and excellent natural environments.
Near the routes of mobile cities, national defense relies entirely on high-speed warships and mobile war fortresses, while near settlements, stable local resource production allows for long-term military garrisons.
The former is more powerful but also easier to infiltrate; it's hard to imagine how the Carrion Eaters' legions in the game marched all the way from Kazdel to Londinium without being intercepted.
While the latter isn't as powerful as the former, it can maintain a relatively tight blockade.
Kazdel's natural environment was too harsh, so Xing Chen had to secure a better piece of land for it, expanding its living space, and at the same time, tying down Victoria's forces in the upcoming war.
The Grand Dukes' coalition probably wouldn't go to war with Kazdel for the sake of a single noble, would they?
“Let's turn our attention back to Londinium, Theresis, I have a task for you.”
“Speak.”
“Alright, I hope you and the Military Commission can thoroughly destroy Duke Windermere's military forces.”
“Reason.”
“Because Theresa and I are working to secure a better international environment for Kazdel—a five-nation anti-Victoria hegemony alliance including Columbia, Leithanien, Ursus, Tara (not yet restored), and Kazdel.”
“Leithanien is the weakest link in this chain.”
“Exactly. Next, she and I will also meet with the Caprini, and bring the Liches back while we're at it.”
Xing Chen's finger slid across the map, stopping at a point where Victoria and Leithanien's routes intersected—Windermere's territory.
Theresis frowned, “This is a bit difficult.”
According to the original plan, they would engage the Dukes with the support of the Blood Demon Grand Duke's spell amplification, annanah's Originium Catastrophe, and the entire Carrion Eaters' legions, and even then, victory wasn't guaranteed.
Now, with the latter two gone, he had no confidence in defeating a Duke's fleet.
This was even assuming other Dukes remained neutral.
“Have you seen the weapons Theresa and I brought for you?”
Theresis nodded.
“Mount them on your airships. You won't need them to carry you to the Internalized Universe anyway.”
“How does its power compare to the Shard?”
“I don't know the Shard's exact power, so I can't compare them. But I can tell you that it can strike over 200 kilometers, requires no charging, and its rate of fire depends on the reloading speed. Theoretically, as long as it can penetrate armor, it can completely cripple a high-speed warship. Even if it doesn't penetrate, it can cause devastating damage to external equipment and structures. Most importantly, it can be mass-produced industrially.”
Xing Chen spoke with conviction. In reality, he had never seen nuclear bombs used as anti-ship missiles, let alone against ships on the ground during combat, so the actual effect could only be seen in real combat.
“However, the current ammunition supply is limited, so use it as much as possible on high-value targets, such as warships and war fortresses.”
“What if there are large gatherings of ground units?”
“No matter how many, ignore them. Ten thousand cannon fodder soldiers are not worth as much to a Grand Duke as a single warship.”